Kudos, “Community”! You win the best comedic Christmas special award for this week’s smart sendup of “Glee.”
Thursday’s episode, “Regional Holiday Music,” combines the clever, always knowing po-mo style of “Community” with parody and song. And song parody. Some of the lyrics bear a repeat listen, not least Annie’s (Alison Brie) answer to “Santa Baby,” a breathy, mock-sexy rendition.

See you after Regionals. (As Chase would say, “what the hell are Regionals?”) Here they’re shown to be the convenient plot device that pumps up suspense as needed.

See you after hiatus. No, really. I honestly believe the series will be back.

Second place would go to “Up All Night.” Wednesday’s episode, “First Christmas,” has a good time knocking overdone Christmas decorations and mall mayhem, with Blythe Danner as Reagan’s (Christina Applegate) mom.

Score two for NBC comedies. (“Parks and Recreation,” “The Office” and “Whitney” — also doing Christmas special episodes this week — not so much.)

Joanne Ostrow has been watching TV since before "reality" required quotation marks. "Hill Street Blues" was life-changing. If Dickens, Twain or Agatha Christie were alive today, they'd be writing for television. And proud of it.